The Road to Power

The skies above the shadow realm were as bleak as ever, filled with swirls of darkness that never seemed to settle. In the middle of this endless twilight, Leegna sat cross-legged, eyes shut, breathing deeply. Yuj watched him from a distance, the once-mischievous smirk on his face replaced with a look of cautious curiosity.

-"Are you sure this is the best use of your time?" Yuj's voice, edged with impatience, finally broke the silence. He drifted closer, his ethereal form barely touching the ground. "The Guardians won't wait forever. They grow stronger by the day, and Gersong—" he paused, his face darkening, "Gersong has been watching."

Leegna's eyes flickered open slightly, a calm that hadn't been there before filling them. "You said it yourself, Yuj," he replied, voice low but firm, "Rushing in without control is suicide. I need to learn how to master my emotions, to think beyond just power. Gersong won't fall by brute strength alone."

Yuj folded his arms, floating just above Leegna's meditation spot. "True... but you're just human. The more you use that ring, the more it devours you. Push too far, and you'll lose your soul before you lose your body."

A chill ran through Leegna as he considered Yuj's words. But he was no stranger to this reality. Ever since he had tapped into the ring's deeper levels, the sensation of losing himself had been creeping closer. That's why this training wasn't just physical—it was a battle to keep his mind intact.

-"I need control, not just of the power, but of myself." Leegna took a deep breath and returned to his meditation. His mind began to drift inward, into the storm of emotions he had been avoiding for years—fear, anger, pain. They all circled around him like predators, but this time, he didn't shy away.

Within the darkness of his mind, he faced them, not with brute force, but with calm logic. The cold clarity of thought began cutting through the tangled mess. Leegna was no longer just reacting to the chaos around him—he was mastering it.

In the real world, Yuj watched, still intrigued. "Perhaps I was wrong to think you'd break so easily. Maybe you're more than a pawn in this game, after all."

Leegna didn't respond. The meditation went deeper, unraveling fragments of memories. Faces, moments, pieces of his past that felt alien and familiar all at once. The ring pulsed on his finger, reacting to the clarity growing within him. He could feel it—his connection to the shadow hunter within.

When Leegna opened his eyes again, the faint outline of the Velvet Shroud—the cloak—wrapped itself around him, though it was invisible to the naked eye. His mastery over its third level had grown. He could call upon it, make it disappear, and even wield its abilities without the full transformation. A crucial advantage in what lay ahead.

Yuj drifted closer, his eyes narrowing. "You're growing stronger... but strength isn't everything. You have to be clever to survive Gersong and the Guardians."

Leegna stood up, the weight of his new control grounding him. "That's where you come in, Yuj. You know more about them than you've let on."

Yuj smirked, circling Leegna. "Of course I do. There are cracks in their armor—weaknesses you can exploit. But it won't be easy. You'll need more than raw power."

-Leegna's eyes flashed with determination. "Tell me what I need to know."

Yuj's smile widened. "There are twelve Guardians, each with their own role. They were crafted to balance the fabric of time, but they can't interfere directly with the human realm. Gersong, though... Gersong is something else. His power... The All-Knowing One."

Leegna felt a cold shiver run down his spine. "All-Knowing?"

Yuj nodded. "He watches everything. Altering memories, shifting realities—nothing escapes him. He has already seen us coming."

Leegna clenched his fists. "Then why hasn't he acted yet?"

"Because he's testing you." Yuj's voice grew darker. "He thinks you're not a threat yet. A puppet to be played with. But that's where we have the upper hand."

Leegna nodded. The weight of the task ahead pressed down on him, but it also fueled his resolve. This journey wasn't just about defeating the Guardians—it was about becoming something more, something stronger than his human form could ever dream of.

But Yuj's words haunted him. He was just human. His power came at a cost—his body, his soul, his mind. The more he used it, the closer he came to losing it all. Still, that wouldn't stop him. Not now.

Suddenly, a strange silence filled the air, the kind of silence that comes before a storm. Yuj stopped mid-sentence, his eyes darting around.

-Leegna's heart began to race. He could sense it too—something was coming. The temperature dropped as the shadows began to swirl. From the darkness, a figure stepped forward. Tall, cloaked, and familiar.

Leegna's breath caught in his throat.

"Aternos..." The name slipped out before he could stop it.

Yuj narrowed his eyes, floating defensively beside Leegna. "So it begins..."

The figure moved closer, the air around them warping and twisting unnaturally. A smile crept onto Aternos' lips, a knowing look in his eyes.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice your progress, Leegna?" His voice was soft but filled with menace. "You've come so far... and yet, you still don't know the full scope of what lies ahead."

-Leegna felt the blood drain from his face. He knew. He always knew. And as the realization hit him, the pieces began to fall into place.

Aternos was no ordinary Guardian. He was the persona of Gersong himself.